Electric changeable exhibitor sign



B. scHLAcHMAN ELECTRIC CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR SIGN Filed Feb. 6, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 4, 1936.

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Filed Feb. 6, 1955 oOm- ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1936. B. scHLAcHMAN ELECTRIC CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR SIGN i 4 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Feb. 6, 1935 \N. \N N oo N NN SN KN oo mw. .Nn

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BY mig/mw@ ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1936. B. scHLAcHMAN 2,049,929

ELECTRIC CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR SIGN Filed Feb. 6, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR SIGN Ben Schlachman, Baltimore, Y Md., assignor of one-half to Israel B. Jacobson, Baltimore, Md.

Application February 6, 1935, Serial No. 5,293

12 Claims. (Cl. Llil-77) The invention relates to an illuminated exhibitor an-d more especially to electric changeable exhibitor signs.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a sign of this character, wherein variable. colored exhibitors will display advertising matter automatically and intermittently at intervals with a` continued changing of signs clearly visible by day and night.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sign of this character, wherein the display made will be illuminated and the color yeffect varied with the exhibiting of 4the varying signs when changed in the automatic operation of the machine so as to afford attraction to the exhibited matter and to have the same clearly visible.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sign of this character, wherein the same is ofrnovel construction and is automatic in its operation, being electrically controlled and will enable the exhibiting of changeable signs in the working thereof.

A stm further object of the. invention is thev provision of a sign of this character, which is comparatively simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its operation, compact, attractive in appearance, strong, durable, portable and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of the same being broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View through the sign.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end elevation partly in section of the rotorexhibitor.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detailed elevation of the switch and cooperating cam.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of a sign rack.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the switch.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic plan view of the cam pattern.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the reflectorV clips.

VFigure 11 is a fragmentary perspective 'View of a modified form of window covering.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic plan View of the circuit layout for the machine.

Similar reference characters indicate vcorresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring t0 the drawings in detail, the machine comprises a base I0 preferably a flat wood piece supporting a casing I I of sheet metal being of the required length and height and having at its top a hinged door I2 so that access may be had to the interior when the occasion requires. This casing or housing `I I at the front thereof is provided with a crown portion I3 having the front window I4 covered by a transparent exhibitor I5 affording a permanent intermittently illuminated sign visible at the front of the casing or housing. In the front of. the casing or housing I I beneath the window I4 isa window I6 which in this instance is covered by a Wir-e mesh screen I'l preferably paintedblack at the outer side thereof and having aluminum at its inner side. This window I6 extends longitudinally for a major portion of the length of the casing or housing I I.

Arranged interiorly of the casing or housing I I is a rotor including the disk likeends I8 tol which are secured at equidistances apart peripherally thereof the channeled racks I9 for exhibitor me-` diums including letter bearing cards 26, the letters 2l vbeing transparent while the card area about the same being opaque and a color strip 22, these car-ds'Z and the strip being of a size that when fitted in the racks I9 for the holding thereof the same will bulge both in an Aoutward direction or the cards in an outward direction and the strip in an" inward direction, this altered arrangement being alternately effected as shown in Figure 3 of. the drawings. The cards 20 are in groups with the letters 2I thereof arranged when the cards are within the racks I9 for the spelling of certain commodities or displaying'advertising ,matter by illumination Yand made visible through the screen I'I at the window i6. The cards 20 when fitting the racks I9 are disposed so that the edges adjacent to each other will overlap to avoid light passing between the cards on illumination of the sign. The rotor at one end has its end disk I8 turning upon a hollow stationaryjournal 23 carried by Va bearing 24 xed to and rising from the base I9 interiorly of the casing or housing I I while the other end of this rotor has its end disk I8 loosely fitted with a journal hub 25 upon a stationary journal 26 carried by the bearing 21 xed to and rising from the base I0 within the casing or housing II. This hub 25 has fixed theretol a pulley 28 over which is trained an endless belt 29 the same being trained over a driving pulley 39 on the power shaft 3l of the electric motor 32 suitably confined within the casing or housing I I. 'Ihe hub has formed therewith a friction clutch 33 which engages the end disk I8 next thereto so that Carried by the journals 23 and 26 are suitableV hangers 35, these supporting lamp sockets Y 36 suitably insulated therefrom,.the sockets being fitted with removable electric-light bulbs 31 in parallel with a circuit 38 connected with an electric current feed line 39 which also has the motor 32 in parallel therewith, the line being provided with a hand switch 40 for the opening and closing of said line. Y

Engaged with the sockets 36 and with the bulbs 31 are spring hangers or clips 4I for a reflector 42 common to the said bulbs 31 for the projecting of light from these bulbs through the windows I4 and I6 and such bulbs illuminate the exhibitors for the display of. the advertising matter on visibility thereof through the windows I4 and I6, respectively.

Included in the circuit 38 is an automatic switch including a trigger 43 pivoted at 44 for rocking movement upon a support 45 stationarily mounted upon the base I0 and this support has journaled therein a toothed tripping gear 46 for coaction with `a tripping lug 41 carried by and insulated from the hub 25 so that the said gear 46 will be intermittently moved and in this manner driven from the motor 32. The gear 46 concentric of its axis is formed with a cam 48 the pattern thereof being shown diagrammatically in Figure 9 of the drawings and coacting with this cam is the riding nose 49 of the trigger 43 which latter carries the spring 50 for urging riding contact of the nose 49 upon the cam 48. Y

On the rotor at the end next to the switch constituted by the trigger 43 peripherally of the disk I8 at this .end are abutments 5I, these being spaced at the proper intervals from each other and are grouped into Varying lengths so that when Ythe trigger 43 is shifted by the cam 48 certain of the abutments 5I will be engaged by opposite ends of the trigger in alternate fashion and when so engaged the rotor will be brought to a standstill and held for a determined period and thereafter when release takes place by the trigger 43 the said rotor becomes active by rotation. The clutch 33 allows slippage between the rotor and the hub 25 which latter is constantly rotated on standstill of the rotor. l. Y. Y Y

When the trigger is engaged with any of the abutments 5I the same acts as a switch and closes the circuit to the bulbs 31 foi` the illumination thereof.. When the rotor is turning the switch is open and the circuit is shut oif from the lamp bulbs 31 and thus visibility of rotation of the rotor can not be had as such rotor is operating in darkness unaffected by light exteriorly of the casing or housing II. The abutments 5I stop the rotor tohave the exhibitors in confronting relation to the window I6 and by illumination such exhibitors are clearly visible for the display thereof and the color strips 22, they being of different hues effect variable color schemes of the exhibitors on illumination of the same.

In Figure 11 of the drawings there is shown a slight modication of. the covering for the window I6 wherein it includes a wire mesh black coated section 52 having superimposed over the outer face thereof a clear Celluloid section 53 so that light rays will be projected from without the casing or housing I I while from the outside of the latter visibility of the rotor and the exhibitors carried thereby can not be visible when the bulbs 31 are not lighted.

It will be apparent that the rotor is automatically controlled by the switch for intermittent stopping of said rotor to allow sign display. This switch constituted by the trigger 43 carries a spring buffer 54 for engagement with the abutments 5I. Upon the base is mounted a spring ratchet dog 55 cooperating Ywith ratchet teeth 56 on the rotor to prevent retrograde movement of said rotor, the same being driven in Va clockwise direction by the motor 32.

It will be apparent that the permanent exhibitors or signs I5 will be subjected to varying colored eiects as created by the colored sections or strips 22 which control the coloring effect of the exhibitors carried by the rotor.

What is claimed is:

1. A structure of the kind described, comprising a rotor having exhibitor racks, display mediums within the racks, color sections associated with said mediums and supported in the racks, an enclosure for the rotor and having an opening forming a window forY making visible the display mediums, means for driving the rotor andA having frictional clutch connection therewith, electric lighting means within the rotor and intermittently controlled by the latter for illumination of said mediums at determined intervals and when the same confront the Window, and a stationary exhibitor for cooperation with the rotor and intermittently illuminated when confronted by the display mediums of said rotor.

2. A structure of the kind described, comprising a rotor having exhibitor racks, display mediums within the racks, color sections associated with said mediums and supported in the racks, an enclosure for the rotor and having an opening forming a window for making Visible the display mediums, means for driving the rotor and having frictional clutch connection therewith, electric lighting means within the rotor and intermittently controlled by the latter for illumination of said mediums at determined intervals and when the same confront the window, a stationary exhibitor for coaction with the rotor and illuminated when confronted by the display mediums carried by said rotor and a reflector coacting with said electric lighting means and within the rotor.

3.' A structure of the kind described, comprising a rotor having exhibitor racks, display mediums within the racks, color sections associated with said mediums and supported in the racks, an enclosure for the rotor and having an opening forming a window for making visible the v display mediums, means for driving the rotor and and when the same confront the window, a stav tion'ary exhibitor for'coaction with the rotor and illuminated when confronted by the displayY mediums carried by said rotor, a reflector coacting with said electric lighting means and within the rotorgand a stationary exhibitor included with said enclosure andilluminated by the said lighting means.

4. A structure of the kind described, comprising a rotor having exhibitor racks, display mediums within the racks, color sections associated with said mediums and supported in the racks, an enclosure for the rotor and having an opening forming a window for making visible the display mediums, means for driving the rotor and having frictional clutch connection therewith, electric lighting means within the rotor and intermittently controlled by the latter for illumination of said mediums at determined intervals and when the same confront the window, a reflector coacting with said electric lighting means and within the rotor, a stationary exhibitor included with Vsaid enclosure and intermittently illuminated by the said lighting means when confronted by the display mediums on the turning of the rotor and a light screen covering said window. y

5. A structure of the kind described, comprising a base, a casing on said base and having windows, a permanent exhibitor at one of the windows, a rotor within said casing and having racks, exhibitors arranged in said racks, coloring sections arranged in the racks for Varying the colors of the exhibitors, electric lighting means within the rotor for illuminating the exhibitors when confronting the other Window, driving motor connections with said rotor and having frictional clutch engagement therewith, a gear intermit-l tently operated by said rotor, an electric circuit including said lighting means and motor, a switch included in said circuit for controlling the lighting means, a cam on said gear and operating said switch, and contacts on the rotor and engageable with the switch for the closing of the circuit to the lighting means and stopping the rotor when the switch is closed.

6. A structure of the kind described, comprising a base, a casing on said base and having windows, a permanent exhibitor at one of the windows, a rotor within said casing and having racks, exhibitors arranged in said racks, coloring sections arranged in the racks for varying the colors of the exhibitors, electric lighting means within the rotor for illuminating the exhibitors when confronting the other window, driving motor connections with said rotor and having frictional clutch engagement therewith, a gear intermittently operated by said rotor, an electric circuit including said lighting means and motor, a switch included in said circuit for controlling the lighting means, `a cam on said gear and operating said switch, contacts on the rotor and engageable with the switch for the closing of the circuit to the lighting means and stopping the rotor when the switch is closed and a reflector associated with said lighting means for directing light in the direction of the windows and through the exhibitors.

7. A structure of the kind described, comprising a base, a casing on said base and having windows, a permanent exhibitor at one of the windows, a rotor within said casing and having racks, exhibitors arranged in said racks, coloring sections arranged in the racks for varying the colors of the exhibitors, electric lighting means within the rotor for illuminating the exhibitors when confronting the other window, driving motor connections with said rotor and having frictional clutch engagement therewith, a gear intermittently operated by said rotor, an electric circuit including said lighting means and motor, a switch included in said circuit for controlling the lighting means, a cam on said gear and operating said switch, contacts on the rotor and engageable with the switch for the closing of the circuit to the lighting means and stopping the rotor when the switch is closed, a reflector associated with said lighting means for directing light in the direction of the windows and through the exhibitors and means coacting with the rotor to permit rotation thereof in one direction.

8. A structure of the kind described, comprising a base, a casing on said base and having windows, a permanent exhibitor at one of the windows, a rotor within said casing and having racks, exhibitors arranged in said racks, coloring sections arranged in the racks for varying the colors of the exhibitors, electric lighting means within the rotor for illuminating the exhibitors when confronting the other window, driving motor connections with said rotor and having frictional clutch engagement therewith, a gear intermittently operated by said rotor, an electric circuit including said lighting means and motor, a switch included in said circuit for controlling the lighting means, a cam on said gear and operating said switch, contacts on the rotor and engageable with the switch for the closing of the circuit to the lighting means and stopping the rotor when the switch is closed, a reiiector asso- 'ciated with said lighting means for directing light in the direction oi the wndows and through the exhibitors and means for permitting buffer action between the contacts and said switch.

9. A structure of the kind described, comprising a base, a casing on said base and having windows, a permanent exhibitor at one of the windows, a rotor within said casing and having racks, exhibitors arranged in said racks, coloring sections arranged in the racks for varying the colors of the exhibitors, electric lighting means within the rotor for illuminating the exhibitors when confronting the other window, driving motor connections with said rotor and having frictional clutch engagement therewith, a gear intermittently operated by said rotor, an electric circuit including said lighting means and motor, a switch included in said circuit for controlling the lighting means, a cam on said gear and operating said switch, contacts on the rotor and engageable with the switch for the closing of the circuit to the lighting means and stopping the rotor when the switch is closed, a reflector associated with said lighting means for directing light in the direction of the windows and through the exhibitors, means for permitting buffer action between the contacts and said switch and a light screen covering the said other window.

10. A structure of the kind described compris-V ing, a rotor having a plurality of exhibitors visible through the other Window of said casing, illuminating means associated with the said exhibitors for illuminating the same and directing light intermittently through the stationary exhibitor When confronted by the exhibitors of the rotor, and means for extinguishing the illuminating means at determined intervals and regulated by the rotor.

12. A structure of the kind described comprising a windowed casing, a stationary exhibitor visible through one of the windows of the casing, a rotor having a plurality of exhibitors vvisible through the other window of said casing,r illuminating means associated with the said exhibitors for illuminating the same and directing light intermittently through the stationary exhibitor when confronted by the exhibitors of the rotor, means for extinguishing the illuminating means at determined intervals and regulated by the rotor, and a motor for operating said rotor.

BEN SCHLACHMAN. 

